Be a traveller and not a tourist

We love to travel, we all do,

some are casual, and passionate too,

be it local, national or international,

we have thought about it once in a while.

A change of pace,

from monotonous life,

some adventures we crave,

a desire for spontaneity.

Some locations or monuments,

seen in pictures or documents,

adding it in bucket of travel wish,

and ticking them off from the list.

But beware of becoming a poseur, 

collecting contents for social media,

spending moments in celebrated structures, 

and most of your time in locomotion. 

Taking part in guided tours,

without choices or freedom to choose,

not adding values to the journey taken,

while feeling incomplete, like something missing. 

A tourist is a person,

taking a temporary vacation,

visiting places like completing tasks, 

to make a presentation to loved ones.

It's indeed a shame,

that they have to claim,

the history of their travel,

like creating a memoir.

A traveller, one that travels,

places less visited, away from crowds,

for the joy of new discoveries, 

encounters with the unknown.

Of meeting people, learning cultures,

absorbing the vibrations of the atmosphere, 

walking on rugged terrain, along the nature trails,

experiencing the feels of mountains and oceans.

See the magnificence of the world,

that broaden visions, opening our eyes,

stepping out of our comfort zones,

taking challenges, that help us grow.

To be a seeker, to be a dreamer,

embracing differences, expand horizons,

so, be a traveller and not a tourist,

to understand what's beyond the sightseeing.